The Inter-Generational Pension Plan

The government has amended the Taxation of Pensions Bill, paving the way for inheritable pensions.

At the end of September the Chancellor surprised many people by announcing at the Conservative Party conference new rules for treatment of money purchase death benefits from April 2016. Among those caught on the hop was the Treasury, which issued a rushed press release that was widely criticised as confusing matters further.

In mid-October the government introduced the Taxation of Pensions Bill to parliament, but this made fewer changes to death benefits than had been suggested by the Mr Osborne and the Treasury. The missing detail emerged in early November with a raft of amendments tabled by David Gauke, Financial Secretary to the Treasury. The main effect of these for money purchase pension schemes is that from 6 April 2015:

The consequences of these changes are still being thought through and you should not consider taking any action until the legislation is finalised. However, it does already appear that the estate planning role of pensions is set to increase further and your existing pension death benefit strategies may need to be reviewed.

The value of tax reliefs depends on your individual circumstances. Tax laws can change. The value of your investment can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount you invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate tax and trust advice.